Volunteers' Week
This week is Volunteers Week in the UK, a celebration of all of the good work by volunteers of all kinds for their various causes across the country. In truth, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to volunteering given in no small part to the massive range of projects you can choose to support.
At Pinsent Masons Vario, volunteering has always been encouraged and viewed as an important part of giving back to the community. Last year, we delved into a series of Volunteering Stories, showcasing the efforts gone to by Francesca Rossi, Eleanor Cleveley and Tiffany Harvey-Pallent. These stories showed not only the breadth of deserving causes, but also the impact that giving up your time can have.
To mark Volunteers Week this year, we sat down with Jessica Woodward of our Managed Legal Services team, to find out more about her role volunteering for the Big Sister programme.
What is the Big Sister programme?
The Big Sister programme aims to empower young girls to channel their potential and make better life choices. The main focus of the programme is to support the “middle girls”. Those girls who are not necessarily disruptive in class but who are not exceptionally high achievers either. These girls risk getting ignored as they do not demand the same level of attention as those around them. Pinsent Masons facilitates individuals within the firm to take part in supporting these girls via the Girls Out Loud programme.
What is your involvement?
My role in the programme is that of a “Big Sister” to a 13-year-old girl who is my “Little Sister”. I meet with her once per month for 1 hour and act as an objective person who is there to support her ideas, aspirations, and goals. I provide her with tools to help her: develop in confidence, navigate everyday school life, manage friends and family relationships, understand more about body image and how best to manage exam stress etc.
How did you get introduced to programme?
The first I heard about the programme was via an email sent to the Manchester office. I researched the Girls Out Loud website and felt inspired by the work they do, so I noted my interest in signing up. There were no spaces initially and so when I was told that one had become available, I jumped and the chance.
How long have you been involved?
I have been involved in the programme since September 2023. The programme lasts 12 months and consists of 1-1 sessions with my little sister, peer mentoring with the other big sisters, full group activities and a graduation ceremony where each pair reflect on the past year.
What benefits are there to both you and the girls involved?
The main benefit I have seen for myself is a greater sense of self-awareness and appreciation for my own development aspirations as an adult, both personally and in work. This together with a greater appreciation for what it is like to be a teen girl in the days of technology has opened my eyes to how programmes such as this are so worthwhile! Likewise, the main benefit for the girls is to gain a greater sense of self-awareness and to understand who they are, what they want and how they can be empowered to achieve their goals with the tools available to them.
What are you most proud of from your involvement with the programme?
I am proud of my “Little Sister” and how far she has come over the past year. She received some feedback in her last session with me that her teachers had noticed an improvement in her engagement in lessons as well as her willingness to ask questions and speak up following the Big Sister Programme. I am proud that I have contributed to this increased confidence and that her school are noticing these changes.
What advice would you give to somebody looking to take up volunteering?
I would say “go for it”! Prior to joining Pinsent Masons I had not been involved in any volunteering, so when I saw this opportunity arise, I thought it would be a brilliant opportunity for myself to get out of my comfort zone and to give something valuable back in return.